The New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning writer/producer sets his next action-packed thriller in the high stakes world he knows best: Hollywood

Back on the LAPD and hailed as a hero after taking down a deadly gang of rogue cops in The Viking Funeral, Shane Scully finds himself unwittingly involved in a criminal scheme to take over the movie business. Soon, he will have to go deep undercover to take down a Hollywood conspiracy.

At a glamorous party with his new wife, Alexandra, Shane hears a world famous director make an ominous remark about the strange deaths of his ex-wives. This is more than police business, it's personal: Alexandra's closest friend is engaged to the producer.

When he looks closer, Scully discovers that the director's mysterious past may hide deadly secrets. To uncover them, he must work alongside a former down-and-outer-turned-Hollywood impresario to infiltrate the movie business's violent dark side, a world where deals are settled with handshakes but broken with the spilling of blood, and where the danger to Shane's loved ones is all too real.

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Quotes & Awards

“Cannell ... clearly knows the ins and outs of the entertainment industry, and the detective story, with its wry, subtle humor, doubles as a Hollywood satire.... The well-drawn characters and keen observations on the similarities between Hollywood and the mafia make this a winner.

Publishers Weekly

Once again, veteran writer/TV producer Cannell has concocted his special brand of reader candy.Kirkus Reviews

Cannell's brand of thriller is served straight up...and he knows how to cut to the chase.The New York Times

This is a mystery series I can strongly recommend.The Mystery Reade

Cannell keeps the suspense level high ... making HOLLYWOOD TOUGH ...impossible to put down. Cannell ... continues to demonstrate that he is a master of whatever media he should choose to partake. Certainly the world of suspense literature is richer for his participation.Bookreporter.com

An interesting and chill provoking read.Reviewing the Evidence

Listener Opinions

valpal | 1/13/2011

" just ok for me, I probably won't read any more by this author. Might make a cool movie though.
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Deana | 10/3/2010

" I've never read a Stephen J. Cannell book but he writes for series on TV. This book was really good as an audio book. The reader does a nice job and the book is interesting.
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Diane | 9/22/2010

" Love the way Stephen Cannell writes - keeps you involve in the story - love the book. Shane Scully is great character can't wait to read the next one.
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Delaine | 2/17/2010

" good- first time I ever read any books by this author. I will read more of his books.
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Pat | 10/18/2009

" I often have a mystery to listen to while driving in the car, something I learned from my husband. This is a fun and entertaining plot, especially if you live in LA.
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" A fast-paced, but rather convoluted mystery involving a Shane Scully and the LlAPD, a former informant, a film producer, a prostitute, a film project, a suspicious fiance, three LA gangs involved in a gang war, the mafia, and drug runners. Whew!! An entertaining read!
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Davehk | 1/18/2009

" Shane Sculley = Matthew Scudder. And that's all right in my book.
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Drew | 12/5/2008

" Yet another Shane Scully thriller. I loved this book not as much as the first two but loved it all the same.
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Other Titles by Stephen J. Cannell:

About the Author

Stephen J. Cannell (1941–2010) was the author of the New York Times bestselling Shane Scully books, including The Prostitute’s Ball, The Pallbearers, and Three Shirt Deal. He was also an Emmy Award–winning television writer and producer, and in his thirty-five-year career, he created or cocreated more than forty television series. He was a third-generation Californian and resided in the Pasadena area with his wife, Marcia, and their children.

About the Narrator

Paul Michael is an Audie Award-winning narrator. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy (or Nellie) and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code, winning more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards.

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